Trends for Scarlet Letter Essays
Problems with basic grammar(awkward wording), formatting, and spelling
Vague thesis/argument
Colloquial Language. Some of you sound like you are talking to a casual friend
rather than writing to an educated audience.
Duh Statements: Do you define or summarize unnecessarily? Do you use
overly general statements as filler or to introduce a topic?
Plunking quotes in without accurate introduction (or forgetting to cite them
properly)
Confusing Organization: Does your essay read like a game of ping pong? Or
does it repeat itself/feel like it’s going around the same statement in circles?
Formulaic Organization: Does your essay rely too much on the exact formula?
Does it feel “boring’ because it simply “goes through the motions”?
Plot Summary/Lazy Analysis: Many of you do not explain the significance of
what you are talking about ( just giving me a quote and then saying “This
shows that Pearl is a symbol”. Is not really analyzing. Why does Hawthorne
use Pearl as a symbol? How does that symbol function in the work?)
Reflection--Take a moment to read your essay. Be honest with yourself:
1. Which of the above did you successfully avoid?
2. Which ones are you guilty of?
3. The things I need to improve about my writing are...
4. Action Plan: I can improve this/these by....
4. A question about writing I still have is....
Deconstructing the Prompts
1995. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by
using characters who are alienated from that culture or society
because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a novel or a play in
which such a character plays a significant role and show how that
character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions
or moral values.
2009. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents
something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In
literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or
enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one
symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the
work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work
as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Deconstructing the Prompts
2002. Morally ambiguous characters – characters whose behavior
discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good –
are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in
which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an
essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally
ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work
as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
2009. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something
or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a
symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning.
Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay
analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about
the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely
summarize the plot.
Rewriting the Essay
For the next few days we will rewrite our Scarlet
Letter essays. Before we begin, let’s remember
some of the things necessary to make an essay
eloquent and easy to follow:
Writing an Introduction
Because first impressions are so important, it is crucial to
have a strong introduction to any essay. A strong
introduction acts as a funnel, going from a broader topic
to a specific argument (your thesis).
1-2 sentences
1-2 sentences
1 sentence
Broad Opener/Hook
Your opener, the first 1-2 sentences of your introduction, should be
something that gets your readers attention and makes them want to
keep reading. It should be something broadly related to your topic.
Common openers:
1. Anecdote
2. Quote
3. A surprising fact
4. A historic or related fact
5. A general statement
Background Information
This should include:
• the author and title of the passage
• Context related to the historical period/genre
It may include:
• brief summary
• beginning discussion of your topics
How to Write a Thesis
Peer Check of your
Introduction Paragraph
Checking your Introduction
1. Get out your Introduction Paragraph for the The Scarlet
Letter essay and and 3 different color highlighters.
2. Use one color to highlight your opener. Then label it as its
type: Anecdote, Quote, Surprising Fact, Historic or Related
Fact, or General Statement
3. Use a second color to highlight your background information
(including the author’s name and title)
4. Use the third highlighter to highlight your thesis statement.
Writing a Body Paragraph
The Jane Schaffer Way:
Topic Sentence
Commentary
Commentary
Concrete
Detail
Commentary
Commentary
Concluding Sentence
Minimum 8 Sentences
Each body
paragraph should
be at least 100
words in length.
The more words
you use well, the
better your
writing will get.
Quality NOT
Quantity!
Topic Sentence
It is the first sentence of the paragraph.
It shows the main idea.
Usually a mildly controversial statement-something that you have to prove
Concrete Detail
These are your facts, quotes,
examples, etc. from the text.
CDs can’t be argued with—a CD is
evidence that supports your point!
Commentary
This is your analysis,
interpretation, explanation, or
insight into the text.
Concluding Statement
This is a wrap up of your
discussion in this body
paragraph. It should link back to
your thesis. It may also provide a
transition to your next topic.
Checking Body Paragraphs
Self-Edit
Read through your essay and check for the following items:
1. The Scarlet Letter is in italicized (or underlined if hand-written).
2. You avoid colloquialisms such as “a lot” and contractions.
3. Each quote should have a lead in (I should not see a period
followed by quotation marks, this shows immature writing style).
4. You cite where you found each quote (since there are not line
numbers, please tell me which page it is from) should look like: "
...and Pearl was awesome” (4).
5. You avoid spelling errors (come on people, seriously, do not be
lazy).
6. You have capitalized the beginnings of all sentences, all proper
nouns, etc. (come on people, seriously, do not be lazy)
Checking Body
Paragraphs
Checking your partner’s Body Paragraphs
Get out your Body Paragraphs for the The Scarlet Letter essay and and 3 different
color highlighters. Trade with a partner, then for each paragraph:
1.
Use one color to highlight your topic sentence and concluding sentence.
2.
Use a second color to highlight your concrete details (facts, quotes, examples,
etc.)
3.
Use the third highlighter to highlight commentary (analysis, interpretation,
explanation, etc.)
4.
Underline any awkward or confusing wording.
5.
In the margins, write any questions you still have.
Writing a Conclusion
Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the
subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the
issues you have raised in your paper, to summarize your
thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to
propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your
opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a
positive note.
Your conclusion can go beyond the confines of the
assignment. The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of
the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make
new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your
findings.
Strategies for Writing an
Effective Conclusion
Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy
brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing
a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your
essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer
to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel
concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
Synthesize, don’t summarize: Include a brief summary of the
paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in
your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made
and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all
together.
Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or
reading you did for your paper.
Strategies to Avoid
Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in
conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can
work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion.
Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive
changes.
Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the
rest of an analytical paper.
Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body
of the paper.